The technology described herein relates to devices, and methods thereof, that aid in the rehabilitation of individuals who exhibit signs and/or symptoms of unilateral neglect as a resultant of brain dysfunction, e.g., from cerebral vascular accident, traumatic brain injury, and/or brain tumor.
Individuals with this syndrome act as though whole regions of space contralateral to their lesions do not exist. In early stages, patients may deny ownership of their contra-lateral limb and also neglect parts of their own body. When dressing, they might not clothe the contralateral side and may fail to groom their hair or shave parts of their faces on that side.
Right hemisphere damage is a more common and more severe cause of unilateral neglect than left hemisphere damage. Damage causing left-sided neglect is usually centered on the inferior parietal lobule or superior temporal lobe of the right hemisphere. Patients with such damage ignore events occurring on the left side of space. Patients may even fail to eat the food on the left side of their plate or bump into obstacles on their left side.
Individuals suffering from unilateral neglect often exhibit poor self care skills and often require 24 hour care due to poor safety awareness, secondary to inability to process/scan their entire environment. To regain as much functional independence as possible, the brain much first recognize that the neglected side of the body still exists.
Extensive assistance from external caregivers is needed in order to rehabilitate individuals with brain injuries that result in unilateral neglect symptoms and who are currently unable to perform basic activities of daily living (ADL) skills. There is a need in this field for an improved rehabilitation system that is cost effective, easy to use, and effective.
Related patents known in the art include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,679, issued to Bennett on Apr. 14, 1970, discloses a removable eye side shield.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,637, issued to Kyricos et al. on Apr. 2, 1996, discloses an apparatus for producing and delivering high-intensity light to the eyes of a subject to modify the subject's circadian phase. The apparatus includes a support for positioning the apparatus above the eyes of the subject, a light generator for producing a cool, high-intensity light which is radiated to the eyes of the subject, and a power source coupled to the apparatus for supplying power to the light generator. The support of the invention is preferably a visor which does not obstruct the subject's vision when positioned on the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,275, issued to Vreman et al. on Feb. 26, 2002, discloses a device for treating a circadian rhythm disorder in a subject. The device includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's), preferably blue to green; a mounting to which the LED's are connected: a material for positioning the LED's within 3 cm of the subject, with an orientation toward the subject; a portable power supply electrically connected to the LED's; and a control connected to the LED's for altering the operation of the LED's. The device is sufficiently light and compact to be comfortably worn by the subject. One or more such devices are used to deliver light to a subject's retinas, to the subject's vascular tissue, or simultaneously to both the retinas and the vascular tissue. For illumination of the retina, small chip-type LED's are integrated into the frames of eyeglasses and positioned to direct light into the eyes of the subject. For illumination of the vascular tissue, an array of lens or chip type LED's are contained in a casing that is secured against the skin of the subject. The devices can be used independently of each other, or can be used in combination for more effective and/or flexible treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,336, issued Foulke et al. on Sep. 13, 2005, discloses opaque films adhering electrostatically to lenses of eyewear to train baseball fielders and golfers. For baseball, films placed on the lower parts of the lenses encourage the player to follow a ball visually throughout its entire path of travel toward the player's glove. For golf an opaque film covers one lens, and an opaque film having a lenticular transparent opening in its upper part is placed on the other lens. The films encourage the golfer to keep the head down and behind the ball during the downswing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,583, issued to Eels et al. on Apr. 8, 2008, discloses a system for exposure of eyes of a user to light. That system comprises: a head mountable housing and at least one array of light emitting diodes disposed within the housing proximate to the eyes, and whereby light emissions are transmitted to the eyes. A controller is coupled to the light emitting diodes, and controls the intensity, duration, and sequences of the light emissions. Also provided is portable electrical charge storage cell, disposed within the housing, whereby an electrical current is supplied to the at least one array of light emitting devices.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2003/0109906, inventor Streeter, published on Jun. 12, 2003, discloses therapeutic methods for the treatment of stroke; the methods including delivering a neuroprotective effective amount of light energy having a wavelength in the visible to near-infrared wavelength range to that area of the brain containing the area of primary infarct. The neuroprotective effective amount of light energy is a predetermined power density at the level of the brain tissue being treated, and is delivered by determining a surface power density of the light energy that is sufficient to deliver the predetermined power density of light energy to the brain tissue.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2006/0224217, inventor Burgmannet al., published on Oct. 5, 2006, discloses a phototherapy device which includes a light source for emitting light of a suitable wavelength and a programmable controller connectable to the light source for controlling the power supplied to the light source. A programming key is associated with the programmable controller for programming the programmable controller to control the power supplied to the light source during use. The controller is programmable to control the operating configurations only when the programming key is in communication with the controller.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2006/0136018, inventor Lack et al, published Jun. 22, 2006, discloses an apparatus for administering light to effect re-timing of the human body clock. In one form, the apparatus includes two pairs of light emitting diodes 400 having an emission wavelength in the range 450 nm to 530 nm and a frame adapted to be worn on the face of a wearer. The frame is arranged to support the two pairs of light emitting diodes 400 so that one pair of the light emitting diodes is supported adjacent a surface of each eye of the wearer. The light emitting diodes of each pair project a light output that illuminates a different area of the retina of a respective eye and are spaced apart so as to provide a viewing zone therebetween.
The foregoing patent and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging the inventors' acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the technology described herein. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventors claimed invention.